Death's Bane
by metaladdict
Summary: My AU story about Fallout New Vegas. I don't know what people expect but at the very minimum I'll try to keep the story fresh and unpredictable. This is the Story of the courier, the tale of a woman that had one constant in her life: war
1. Chapter 1

It was just about morning when his men spotted the courier. Benny took a drag of his cigaret. They were standing on a hill overlooking the long 15. He had been worried like sick that the courier had heard about the Deathclaw's blocking the road past the long 15. As he saw the courier approached he was already thinking about his next step.

Taking control over House his systems would be hard, but the robot had convinced him that it would be possible with the chip. He looked to Jessup, the Khan in charge. "Give the order to surround the courier, if they find anyone onlookers kill them as well." Jessup only gave a curt nod and went to his men.

The Khans were savages, but they had their uses. Besides they were the only group he could imaging stupid enough to take out a courier. He took another drag of his cigaret as The Khans surrounded the courier. From his position on the hill he could clearly see the courier didn't have a single clue about his situation. _Their reputation is probably bloated like a NCR political._ The Khans surrounded him in a matter of minutes. He saw a Khan, probably Jessup approach her on the road, closely followed by his men.

The moment the courier spotted him, he drew his blade and pistol. He squinted his eyes at the courier and realized it wasn't a man, but a woman. He shook his head. Good women shouldn't be wasted on a man's job. He let out a sigh, he couldn't let feeling get in the way now, Benny thought.

Benny watched as a conversation took occured between Jessup and the courier and was surprised when the courier threw her bag at Jessup's feet. Benny raised his eyebrow. The couriers had a reputation for never giving up on their cargo. Benny knew they had a bloated reputation, but this was one step too far. One of Jessup's man checked the bag, but they didn't kill the courier as ordered. Benny bitted his lip. _Damn savages can't even kill on command,_ he thought. Short after a Khan ran up the hill and asked him to come down, while the courier sat casually on a rock drinking whiskey and smoking a cigaret.

He immediately approached Jessup and yelled "What of part of kill the courier and take the chip off her wasn't clear?" Jessup gave an amused smile. "The part where there is more than one chip." He gave Jessup a confused look, which he reacted to by pointing at the bag. He walked towards the bag and felt him stomach lurch. It was a massive bag, an army bag if he wasn't mistaken and it was filled to the brim with felt Jessup behind him. "If you want, we could just kill the courier anyway, but our deal said shit about dragging that bag" Jessup said in an amused tone.

He heard a feminine chuckle on his right. He grinded his teeth.

"You disarmed her, I assume?" Jessup nodded. He showed him a .357 revolver. Well maintained and almost shining, but what really impressed him was the sword. Not a machete that the usual raider walked around with, but an actual newly forged sword. Benny's gears were turning. There was only one group in the world that forged their own swords, The Legion. He inspected it more closely and saw words written in some unknown language.

Benny smiled. The Legion only gave infraged swords to their lieutenants. If this bitch broke the rules of the couriers and killed a Legion Lieutenant he would have some leverage over the couriers.

He pulled out his pistol and approached the courier. The woman wasn't beautiful. She was about mid twenties, rugged looking face, low cheekbones, she had venom green eyes with, golden blonde hair with darks roots barely visible in this light. That made him stop for a second.

Her hair was dyed.

Her weapons were top notch, but to have the disposable funds to dye her hair? He bit his lip.

"You won't tell me which is the right chip is? Would you, beautiful?"

The woman blushed a little. "Nah, sweetheart. I don't kiss and tell" Benny considered his position for a moment and turned to Jessup. "Make sure we aren't disturbed." He dragged the bag next another stone opposite the courier. He pointed towards the whiskey bottle. "Would you mind sharing, miss?" The woman wordlessly gave him the bottle. He took a good swig of it and looked at the courier.

He extended his hand. "Hank, pleased to meet you" The woman gave a look to the Khans before taking his hand. "Vicky, likewise." He gave a nod in acknowledgement. It was now that he took in her appearance. A brown trenchcoat and dirty combat armor. The armor was dirty, but it also looked well mainted.

Vicky gave him a charming smile. "We seem in a pickle, ain't we sweetheart?" Her accent was odd. It sounded like high class Shady Sands mixed together with something foreign. Something tribal.

He gave a snort. "Yesh, we are beautiful." He took a drag of his cigaret and passed the whiskey to her. She casually took sip like she wasn't in a life or death situation at all. He was about to make an offer, but she beat her to it. "How about this, honey, you tell me who ratted me out and i'll give you the chip your looking for." He pretended to consider the offer for a moment. He wasn't going to keep his word at all, but he couldn't appear to accept too easy.

"How do I know it's the chip I want? Besides, I need to make sure this little operation doesn't get discovered." She calmly nodded at that. "True enough I suppose, but the one providing you with information can betray you too can't he?" Benny had to resist the urge to chuckle. "True enough I suppose. I imagine the couriers don't like it when of their own gets killed do they?"

Vicky laughed. "You wouldn't believe it. I've only worked for them about six months and most of it has been killing stupid buggers that kill our guys." She shook her head. "I would deliver the bag of course, but I can just tell the whoever approaches me that this was how I got the bag and he can shove it where ever."

Benny nodded, he had played along enough. "Ladies first." He said with a smile. She tsked at him. "I ain't no lady, so you can go first. How did you manage to find out about me? That must have taken so top notch infiltration work." Benny felt his breast swell with pride. He made sure the Khans were out of earshot and said "Well, not exactly. It wasn't the couriers who told me about you. It was your employer, or rather a robot. I fooled someone to hack one for me."

The woman gave an impressed at that. "Wow, that's really clever. No stupid minions that can give away your plan." She took a sip of her whiskey. "But why go through all that trouble for a chip? I'm smarter than most pieces of meat the walk the long road, but I can't figure out what's special about it."

Benny smiled. The woman would be dead soon, no reasons to keep secret. "I was told it's the key to taking over New Vegas." He gave a triumph smile. "With me at the head the city will take achieve a new age of prosperity and whatever the outcome of the war, New Vegas will be safe." She laughed with him and put her hand on his knee. "Your a smart fellow aren't you?" He nodded with a smile. "Oh yes, sweety. I;ll be running the Mojave in no time." She passed the bottle of whiskey to him and he took a generous swig.

She gave a thoughtful look, then pouted. "But how will you survive The Legion? They're going to win this war and after that they will come for you." Benny gave heartfull chuckle and dismissed the concern with his hand. "Those idiots don't have the manpower to fight the NCR and New Vegas afterwards. They're more then willing to keep New Vegas as it is if I just promise to keep the city in order and pay tribute every so often." He snorted.

"Idiot's don't realize i'll just attack them the moment they exhausted themselves." They both chuckled out loud. Benny shook his head. "But that all can't happen without the chip you see?" Vicky nodded. "Suppose i'll just have to give you the chip." He smiled they both stood up and Vicky grabbed the bottle of whiskey. They stopped before the bag of chips and she light another cigaret.

Jessup stood there waiting impatiently. "Say, boss lady, time for the nasty yet?" Benny opened his mouth to retort, but then only realized what Jessup had just said. Vicky gave him a vicious smile. "Yesh, Jessup, it's time for the nasty."

The following instant he felt everything go dark. Sometime later he woke up on a hill. The same hill he had intended to bury the courier. He looked around him and noted The Khans were gone, his arms were bound behind him and his legs were tied together and he sat on his knees. "Well fuck." Benny said out loud.

"I would say so, Benny." Vicky said behind him. He walked in front of him and she sat down, her legs crossed. He looked at her. His mind was working in overdrive. Until he realized what had happened. "House found out, didn't he?"

Vicky nodded. "Not only that, but the robot that was supposedly hacked told you everything House wanted to tell you." Benny just looked at the ground and he laughed. "Damn, to be outplayed that bad is just embarrassing." He looked at her. "But he didn't realize you can't kill me." She just chuckled. "Why is that, Benny?" He sat as straight as he could. "Because I've left a cache of information behind for my people. They will know it was House that killed me. They won't accept that!"

Vicky just gave him a pitying look. "You mean Swank will take revenge?"

"Exactly! He will find my cache and… " Benny's face fell into of anguish. Vicky patted his shoulder. "The only song he will be singing is that you just disappeared one day. He mentioned you would be remembered as a swell guy, but he added that he won't be looking for you at the bar."

Benny just shook his head in defeat. "Out of curiosity, how did you convince The Khans to betray me?" Vicky tsked at him. "The Khans betrayed shit, they're an honorable group. I just hired them WAY before you did." Benny gave a laugh. "The game was rigged from the start"

Vicky nodded. "The only reason why I haven't killed you yet is before I want to known everything you can tell me about your Legion contacts. If you tell me everything you known, I'll kill you in one swift stroke."

Benny gave her a long hard look. "Fine, you have a deal, but I have one condition"

Vicky smiled. "Name it"


	2. Chapter 2

Vicky let out a frustrating sigh as she sat in the back of the Mojave outpost bar. "Fucking Deathclaws" She muttered to herself. She was usually happy being left alone but today she felt like company. She had arrived about an hour ago. Visiting Primm first. She let out a tired sigh. Apparently the NCR had screwed up royally and a whole prison had planned a successful rebellion. Now the Long 15 wasn't only blocked by deathclaws you also had to look out for escaped prisoners with dynamite sticks.

Vicky shaked her head and muttered "Goddamn amateur hour all over the Mojave." under her breath. She was lucky enough that Primm was guarded by retired couriers that had settled down. Vicky chuckled at the thought of the useless deputy having to dig ditches for all the prisoners.

She had put the bag on chair next to her, her sheathed sword on the table itself and left her gun in her holster. She was in the mood for company, but unfortunately for her she had her package to look after. While she doubted anyone was stupid enough to try something, she didn't want to take any chances.

She looked around the bar. It was a typical frontier bar. Dirty, full of soldiers, occasional trader and smelt of sweat and dirt. She loved it. Vicky saw a soldier hitting up a woman that was playing hard to get, but Vicky could see she was interested. Behind the woman, on the other end of the bar his buddies were making lewd gestures. She saw a trader moaning to his guards about something, the guard obviously not really caring. Another group of soldiers were drinking and sharing stories. On one of the of the bar there were a couple of people just drinking to forget, two men and a woman. The all looked like caravan traders.

She nursed her whiskey in her hand, considering all the information Benny gave her. The information was worth some money, but she wondered if she couldn't angle the information into something more. She strengthened her grip on the glass at the thought of getting into Flagstaffs, the Legion capital. If she was in striking distance she could fight her way through Octavian's guard and murder him.

She smiled at the thought of getting revenge in a glorious charge of divine retribution. She let out a wishful sigh. She would send a letter to her family before hand of course. Her father would be proud how she died and her younger brothers and sisters would resent her for dying that gloriously.

She was shaken out of her daydreaming by the door be thrown shut. She looked up at the bang and saw Major Knight standing in front of the door. He looked around the bar until they made eye contact and he approached her.

"So Vicky, what you drinking tonight?" She gave him a pleasant smile. "Whiskey, as usual." Knight smiled back at her and sat down on the empty chair and put up two fingers while pointing at her drink. The bartender was with them with them in a minute, knowing full well they were both good tippers.

After their first sip of their whiskey's Knight spoke up. "So where you going this time?" She gave a shrug. "Where ever they pay me to go, Knight." He shook his head. Knight lowered his voice as he said" New Vegas by any chance? I have a package for my sweetheart in Vegas." She smiled a little at the codename Knight had come up with for Colonel Hsu.

Knight was the quartermaster of the Mojave outpost, but he was also an NCR intelligence officer. He hadn't told her that of course, but she had delivered enough packages to Knight's 'Sweetheart' and other 'friends' to get the real picture. Besides, Hsu didn't have as good a poker face as Knight did.

She looked around the bar looking for anyone watching them. She knew for a fact the Legion wouldn't attack her directly. The Legion used and valued the couriers way too much to do that. But 'encouraging' raiders and other groups to do so? That they would do if the package was interesting enough.

Vicky tsked at him. "You know that I'm way too discreet to tell you anything." Knight gave a smile. "That's why I love using you, Vicky. Your fast and discreet." He gave a look at her bag. "Though I wonder how fast you are with that big load on your back." Vicky just gave him a shrug. "Being fast isn't the problem with you two. Discreet, now that is you two's issue."

Knight laughed. "Only because you yell at his secretary that you have a love letter from me."

Vicky shrugged. "Not my fault if his secretary gossips about her boss." Knight gave another chuckle. "Anyway, usual fee for one package to New Vegas?" She considered it for a moment, looking at her bag. She could always use the extra caps, but company policy was to not take two jobs at once from opposing forces. She smiled a little, but she also was supposed to be discreet, not giving away who she worked for. Not accepting the job implied too much.

Vicky shrugged. "Not that i'm admitting where i'm going, but I could deliver it for you." Knight smiled. "Pick it up when you leave and i'll throw in some ammo" Knight said. He stood up and left the bar with his usual casualness. She admired Knight. Honorable man, good to his men from what she's heard and a quiet confidence.

She downed her drink in one to prevent her from taking those thoughts any further. That chapter had closed and she wouldn't open it again.

She raised her hand to signal the bartender, but before he could bring her a drink a fight broke out. The woman she had spotted earlier was fighting the two men that sat next to her. The woman was surrounded from both sides and the NCR soldiers, in typical fashion, didn't do anything. The man behind the woman tried to put his arms around her and the man in front of her acted at the same time going in for a punch in the face. She was quick enough to dodge the punch, but she failed to stop the other one.

Vicky let out a tired sign. She grabbed her empty glas and threw it at the man holding the woman. It hit him square in the face and he let the woman go as he fell to the ground. Vicky locked eyes with the woman for a second seeing a confused look in her eyes. The woman averted her gaze when the man still standing tried to punch her again. This time she parried the punch and countered with a punch straight on the jaw with a right mean hook. The man fel in an instant. She then turned to the man who Vicky had thrown a glass at and kicked him in the face, knocking him unconscious as well.

The woman, calm as cucumber, gathered her hat and other belongs talked to the bartender, who was quick to give the woman a bottle of whiskey and two glasses, with no caps exchanged. The woman calmly walked to her table, put down the glasses and poured whiskey into the two glasses and pushed one glas in her direction and sat down. "Thanks" The woman muttered under her breath.

"Your welcome" Vicky said with a coy smile. "Your lucky my glass was empty otherwise I wouldn't have thrown it." The woman gave a smile in return. "Oh please, if you had done that I would have beaten you up just for wastin good whiskey." They both chuckled and clinked glasses and drank their whiskey in silence.

"The names Vicky by the way." Vicky said after the third glass. The woman drank up her glass then started pouring a fourth for the both of them. "The name's Rose of Sharon Cassidy, but everybody calls me Cassidy." Vicky nodded in acknowledgement. Cassidy gave her a look. "What's a courier doing in a NCR outpost anyway? I thought you had your own little town just up the road." Vicky gave a snort.

"Primm is guarded by the couriers, but we don't own it. We just have a good relationship with the citizens of the fine city." Cassidy gave a snort of her own. "Yeah sure. The fact that it doesn't have to pay NCR taxes is just an added benefit." Vicky shrugged. "It's mutually beneficial relationship, can't complain really, except there isn't a proper bar." Cass chuckled at that.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Ordering a new bottle and continuing drinking. After a while Cass asked "Where are you heading?" Vicky considered her words for a second before answering. Finally she just shrugged and said "Free Side."

Cassidy nodded at that. "I'm going there too. Want to travel together?" Vicky shook her head. "Caravan's are too slow for me. I like the safety in numbers and all that, but my employers are expecting me to travel as fast as possible."

Vicky saw a pain in Cassidy's eyes, but she didn't comment on it. "That isn't a problem." Cassidy said with a hollow pain in the breath and she looked down at her drink. "I'm not a caravan trader anymore." She said with an obvious hole in her heart.

She could sympathise. She had half a mind to ask, but if Cassidy didn't want to talk she wouldn't push it. "You're more than welcome to travel with me, but don't expect a free ride. Despite knowing better, raiders still attack couriers." She took a drink of her whiskey. "We could also be surrounded by Legion boys but if that happens shut up and let me do the talking."

Cassidy nodded. "Raiders can attack and Legion boys might harass us. Got it check."

Vicky looked at the clock. "I'm going to bed, I'll be awake at six, be awake or i'll leave you." Cassidy visibly winced at the time. "Really?" Cassidy whined, but Vicky ignored her. She gathered her stuff and moved to the barracks. She locked the bag of chips with a couple of locks and put it under her pillow. She secured the rest of her stuff and laid down on the bed.

Before she closed her eyes she grabbed her sword. She looked at it. Remembering better times. She kissed the sword and put it on her chest, but not letting it go. She let out a sigh praying to the gods she wouldn't dream tonight.


End file.
